Staff Spotlight: Lauren Wilt 
By: Ashley Smith

We were at a staff meeting and I was chatting with Lauren and realized that she was probably a camper when I was on staff at Metroparks. After a brief moment of feeling old, she quickly pulled up a cute photo of her younger self with her backpack right in front of the very building we were in—Metroparks Hall at Wildwood Preserve. She was attending camp in the photo so we talked about how she arrived as a seasonal staff member with Metroparks Toledo in the program department. 

What is your earliest outdoors memory?
My earliest outdoor memory was my siblings and I playing on a huge mulch pile that was dropped off in the middle of our driveway. 

What is your earliest Metroparks memory?
My earliest Metroparks memory is when a bug guy came to Wildwood. I distinctly remember him taking out a tarantula and putting it on another kids head. 

Favorite Metropark?
My favorite Metropark is Oak Openings with Glass City in a close second. I love how in Oak Openings it feels like you have stepped into a different world. The trails are so long and secluded I often forget I am just at Oak Openings. I love Glass City because there is just so much to do, from the skating, splashpad, and the rock climbing.

Favorite camp memory?
My favorite camp memory was singing Turkey Vulture Rap. When my older sister and I were campers we even forced our parents to learn the song and sing with us at home. To this day my parents still know some of the lyrics. 

Favorite outdoor activity?
My favorite outdoor activity is hammocking with a good book. Being able to lay below massive trees and just being able to listen to all of the sounds of nature makes a good book just so much better. Reading is also something I would usually do inside, so having a way to do it outside and get all the benefits of just being in nature is so cool. 

Are you still in school? What are you studying? What is your dream job?
I just started my second year of college at Bowling Green State University. I am an adolescent to young adult integrated language arts education major. Which basically means I want to teach 7-12th grade English. I want to be able to make students fall in love with reading. 

Tell me about your Counselor in Training (CIT) experience?
I became a CIT right after COVID lockdown and absolutely fell in love with it. Getting the opportunity to help kids connect and try out new activities in nature was amazing. My favorite camp to help out on was Survivor Camp out at Oak Openings. 

How was Conservation Club?
I then went on to join Conservation Club the second year it happened. Through Conservation Club I was able to learn a variety of different skills such as oil changes, invasive removal, tree planting and even interview skills. While being in Conservation Club I had the opportunity to visit Silver Lake, The Great Smoky Mountains, and Cuyahoga Valley.

Metroparks staff experience?
After my second year in Conservation Club I applied for the Conservation Club job position and got it! With this I was able to split my time between Natural Resources and the Programming Department. While in Natural Resources I learned to use all new types of machinery to remove invasive species out at Blue Creek. 

While in Programming my first year I was able to work large events like Glowtacular and other events such as holiday tree climbs and glow in the dark archery. My second summer at the Metroparks I applied for the Junior Camp Counselor position because I missed all of the camper interaction I got when I was a CIT. This is now my third summer at the parks and I am now an Environmental Educational Programmer working with Connections Camp and I absolutely love it.

What do you love so much about it?
Having the opportunity to have campers face their fear of insects with our cockroaches, their fear of bodies of water with canoeing, and even fears of height with the rockwall. Being able to be a positive figure that encourages them to try things for the first time is an amazing feeling. The ability to also make a fool of myself by singing camp songs and playing camp games makes me feel like a camper again. 

In a time where after-school activity options are endless, making time for nature is critical for both physical and mental health.

While the benefits of getting kids outside are clear, making time in our busy lives can be a challenge. Here are some ideas to make nature a part of your family’s routine this fall: 

• Side Cut Kids Club (Ages 8 to 12) [Details]
• Make a goal to visit every Metroparks playground [Explore]
• Toledo Tree Tots Preschool Club (Ages 2.5-5) [Details]
• Upcoming fishing program [Details]
• Trail Challenge: earn stickers for walking, hiking, biking, or trying a new activity [Details]
• Information on becoming a Counselor In Training [Details]
• Information on Conservation Club [Details]